Shawn Oliver, the Republican candidate for Massachusetts lieutenant governor and a New Bedford Ward 3 city councilor, suspended his campaign Sunday after he was arrested on charges of operating under the influence of liquor following a late-Saturday crash that flipped his car into five parked vehicles. The 42-year-old, who also works as a Bristol County House of Corrections officer, was taken to a hospital before being booked, and his arrest landed less than three weeks before the Nov. 3 general election.
Police said Oliver was charged with operating under the influence of liquor, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, a marked-lanes violation and speeding, according to WCVB. The crash happened near a shopping plaza on Dartmouth Street, where Oliver's vehicle overturned after striking five parked cars, two of which sustained extensive damage, per NBC Boston. Accounts of the exact timing differ: WCVB reported officers arrived at 448 Dartmouth St. at 11:40 p.m. Saturday, while WPRI reported police were called to the 400 block of Dartmouth Street around 11:30 p.m.
Oliver was taken to St. Luke's Hospital for treatment of crash-related injuries before he was placed under arrest, according to the New Bedford Light. Reports also conflict on when he was released from Ash Street Jail: WPRI reported he was booked around 6:45 a.m. and released at 9 a.m. Sunday, while State House News Service reported a roughly 6:46 a.m. booking and a 9:30 a.m. release. Per the Boston Herald, Oliver went directly home after his release, and his wife told the paper he was sleeping and declined further comment.
Running Mate Pushes for Suspension
Oliver's running mate, Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Minogue, publicly called on him to suspend his campaign immediately after learning of the charges. “I am asking him to suspend his campaign immediately, and when elected, I will formally ask for his resignation,” Minogue said, according to WCVB. The Herald reported Minogue also said Oliver was lucky to be alive and that no innocent person was hurt, adding there is no excuse for driving under the influence and that Oliver should put his family first and work to prevent a repeat.
Oliver said he suspended the campaign because the race was too important to be overshadowed by personal matters. “This election is too important to be overshadowed by personal matters,” he said, according to the Boston Globe. Per the Herald, he also asked that his family's privacy be respected. The Massachusetts Republican Party backed the decision, saying the episode put lives at risk and that the party would help Oliver get assistance to prevent future harm, the Herald reported; party chair Amy Carnevale said Oliver is holding himself accountable and facing the consequences.
Oliver Still Appears on the Nov. 3 Ballot
Despite suspending his campaign, Oliver's name will remain on voters' ballots alongside Minogue's for the Nov. 3 election, the Globe reported. The Herald similarly reported Oliver remains on the ballot. The evidence provided does not include a fuller legal explanation of how a suspended campaign affects ballot mechanics or candidate replacement under Massachusetts election law.
Minogue and Oliver are challenging incumbent Democratic Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, who have led the Republican ticket by a wide margin in public polling, per the Globe. The Globe noted the episode could complicate Republicans' push to win the governor's office and gives Democrats a new line of attack. Oliver's arrest came just days after he faced Driscoll in the race's only lieutenant governor debate, according to MassLive, while Minogue had delivered two strong debate performances ahead of the election, per the Herald.
Not New Bedford's First Council OUI Case
The case echoes an earlier one in New Bedford city government: former City Councilor Hugh Dunn was charged with OUI in 2021 while a sitting councilor, after hitting cars in a downtown parking lot, according to the New Bedford Light. Video from New Bedford Live captured the scene of Saturday's crash, and footage appeared to show Oliver's car cross the road and strike a parked vehicle head-on before flipping and hitting other cars, per the Herald, which has requested the police report and other records from New Bedford police. Oliver was scheduled to be arraigned in New Bedford court Monday morning, according to State House News Service. No blood-alcohol results, field-sobriety findings or other evidence of impairment, and no outcome of that arraignment, has been made available.
